D-Robotics and Infinigence AI integrate open robotics tools into Sunrise chips

According to Chinese reports published on November 9, BYD demonstrated an automated robotic mount for its fast-charging network in the United Arab Emirates. This mechanism handles the entire charging process: after the vehicle parks in a designated bay, the mount opens the charging port cover, grips and inserts the connector, initiates charging, then removes the connector and closes the cover. The driver does not need to leave the vehicle during this process.

It is reported that the mount uses visual recognition combined with feedback control to locate the charging port. It is also compatible with various local connector specifications, which is important for deployment abroad where charging standards differ from Chinese ones.

The demonstration site integrates solar generation, energy storage system, and a charging station. Solar panels collect energy, and storage cabinets buffer it, allowing the station not to draw peak load directly from the grid. The charging power shown at the facility reached 1000 kilowatts. According to reports, using BYD's second-generation Blade battery, this enables a five-minute top-up and a nine-minute full charge. However, the reports do not specify the initial and final charge levels, the vehicle used, or the environmental conditions during the demonstration.

BYD also presented a one-click parking and charging function, where the vehicle autonomously drives into the charging bay and then hands over control to the robotic mount, combining automatic parking and automatic charging into a single process. As noted in the report, in hot desert climates similar to those in the UAE, this eliminates the need for drivers to stand outside while connecting the cable.

BYD has been developing robots for automated charging for several years. Early versions were used for topping up automated guided vehicles before the work was expanded to parking areas for passenger cars. Previously published patents by the company describe additional potential functions, including reading battery charge levels and tire pressure, locating tire valves for inflation, and operating without modifying the vehicle itself. However, these patent descriptions are not features announced for the system in the UAE.

BYD has not yet provided information on the number of spots that will receive this mount, the timeline for its availability to customers, or whether it will be offered outside the UAE.

Goke Microelectronics is developing a series of Edge AI chips named GK6950, intended for robots capable of human interaction. This series is planned to be available next year.

Details of the plans were presented on November 2nd by Ni Yayu, Deputy Head of Digital Platform Development and AI Technical Lead, during a supply chain session held concurrently with the China Semiconductor Industry Conference 2026. The chip has not yet been released, and no information regarding samples, customers, or delivery timelines has been provided.

According to Ni, the GK6950 series utilizes a next-generation neural processor architecture that operates directly on the device, providing dense INT8 computation power of 10 TOPS. The chip supports various precision levels: mixed formats of INT4, INT8, INT16, and FP16. It is designed to handle traditional audio and vision perception, as well as inference of large models and vision-language-action models on a single architecture.

The chip's design is oriented towards the specific workload of a robot: simultaneously executing a large interactive model and three-dimensional spatial reconstruction. Goke asserts that the same NPU operators can support different precision levels for each task. Language model inference is performed using 4-bit weights, FP16 activations, and an INT8 key-value cache with page management, which helps reduce memory load and bandwidth when dealing with long contexts and parallel streams. Spatial geometry reconstruction remains in FP16 format, including intermediate features and outputs, to prevent error accumulation in pose and depth estimations.

Image preprocessing is carried out in dense INT8 mode to maintain high throughput when processing data from multiple cameras. In addition to the chip itself, Goke plans to develop a lightweight streaming spatial reasoning algorithm called GK-VGGT-SLAM. This algorithm allows scenes to be reconstructed causally as video arrives, using only current and previous frames for pose estimation and real-time 3D map construction, instead of collecting all material and processing it later.

Ni framed the problem in terms of the information robots must constantly know while moving, grasping, and placing objects: their own pose, the structure of the environment, and the location of the target object. Errors in pose, depth, or point matching determination can lead to artifacts and incorrect maps, negatively affecting collision avoidance and manipulation, while onboard computational power, memory, bandwidth, and power consumption remain limited.

Information regarding energy consumption, the technological node used, memory configuration, and performance on robotic test benches was not disclosed. Until silicon shipment, the accuracy scheme and SLAM claims remain design targets.

AutoChips, a subsidiary of NavInfo specializing in automotive chips, has unveiled the AC8035—a sixth-generation automotive-grade microchip. This platform is designed to consolidate cabin control, driver assistance, and parking functions into a single chip.

The announcement was made at the NavInfo conference on November 6, according to a report by the Chinese publication Sina. Engineering samples are scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2027.

The proposed single-chip configuration is capable of handling smart cabin tasks, supporting L2/L2+ level driver assistance features, and automated parking. Furthermore, it supports running large artificial intelligence models directly on the device.

A development platform and sample release schedule were presented during the announcement, but neither mass production nor the use of AC8035 in existing vehicles was confirmed.

Claims Regarding Chip Capabilities

NavInfo CEO Chen Peng noted that chip development must account for future needs, as the semiconductor development cycle for automotive applications is longer than the rapid pace of AI model updates. According to Sina's report, the new design incorporates headroom in areas such as memory bandwidth to allow for subsequent model updates.

The Chinese industry resource Chedongxi reported that Chen claims the design can enable continuous multimodal interaction without the need for an activation phrase. He also mentioned memory bandwidth that is two to three times higher than comparable products, although the report does not specify the test configuration or an independently assessed benchmark. These statements remain management opinions rather than demonstrated performance in mass-market vehicles.

The integration of components aims to reduce the number of individual controllers and associated hardware, which could potentially simplify the vehicle's computing architecture. However, the reports do not provide a quantitative assessment of system-level savings for AC8035, nor do they indicate a customer vehicle program. The final chip price or mass delivery date has also not been disclosed.

Data Management Approach

Chen also emphasized the importance of data management as part of a broader offering for the automotive industry. Chedongxi quotes his foreign approach as 'data localization, model globalization': this means adapting data delivery and processing processes to local regulations while simultaneously creating reusable model capabilities. He added that compliance and privacy protection must be embedded in the data processing cycle, not added after the vehicle is ready for sale.

The broader conference included cabin-specific models and collaboration with Microsoft to create a multilingual ecosystem of large models for automakers expanding internationally. These initiatives fall under NavInfo's wider strategy and are not additional features of the AC8035 chip itself. For the chip, the next stated milestone is the release of engineering samples; validation and transition to production are still pending.